The use of an intermediate transfer member in electrostatic imaging is well known.
Various types of intermediate transfer members are known and are described, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,862,848, 4,684,238, 4,690,539 and 4,531,825, the specifications of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Belt-type intermediate transfer members for use in electrophotography are known in the art and are described, inter alia, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,893,761, 4,684,238 and 4,690,539, the specifications of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The use of intermediate transfer members and members including transfer blankets, for offset ink printing, is also well known. Such blankets have characteristics which are suitable for ink transfer but they are generally not usable, per se, for liquid toner imaging.
Multi-layered intermediate transfer blankets for toner imaging are known in the art. Generally, such blankets include a thin, multi-layered, image transfer portion and a base (or body) portion which supports the image transfer portion and provides the blanket with resilience during contact with an imaging surface and/or a final substrate. While the process for producing the image transfer portion is a relatively clean process, the base portion is generally not compatible with such clean processes.
Mechanisms for continuous replacement of an imaging blanket are known in the art. Such a mechanism is described, for example in Japanese Publication JP 5046037, published Feb. 26, 1993, wherein a continuous sheet of transfer-blanket material is rolled-up in a cassette, inside a drum, and a premeasured length of the blanket material is stretched circumferentially on the surface of the drum. When the stretched out length of blanket requires replacement, the used portion of the blanket is drawn into a take-up cassette, inside the drum, and a new portion of the blanket is stretched between the two cassettes. It should be noted that the length of transfer-blanket material in the cassettes is limited by the thickness of the continuous blanket and the available space within the drum.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,001 describes a fixing roller for electrophotography which has a 3 mm coating of a mixture of diorganopolysiloxanes terminated at both chain ends with diorganohydroxysilyl groups bonded to terminal silicone atoms (a condensation type silicone), diorganopolysiloxanes terminated at both chain ends with trialkysilyl groups (a substantially unreactive silicone oil), a minor part of an alkoxysilane catalyst and various amounts of fillers. This material vulcanizes, in the 3 mm thickness, at room temperature.